The present invention in general relates to the disposal and decontamination of potentially contaminated sharp instruments. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and device for discarding and decontaminating potentially contaminated sharp instruments by enveloping the sharp instrument between a folded pad having an adhesive surface and microencapsulated disinfectant.
A large percentage of hospital-related injuries are attributable to accidental sticks from sharp instruments including needles, scalpels and the like. A high incidence of such injuries also inflicts laboratory personnel and nursing and physician personnel. Furthermore, housekeeping personnel often suffer from such injuries. Typically, injuries resultant from accidental needle and scalpel sticks occur after the instruments have been used. As a result, affected personnel are subject to serious diseases, including but not limited to AIDS and Hepatitis B.
Most often, needle and scalpel sticks occur during the handling of sharp instrumentation prior to permanent disposal. The carrying of such instruments to designated containers, placing them in the containers and emptying the containers have proven to be a common source of injury. Often needles dangerously protrude from waster containers. Additionally, attempting to re-cap disposable syringes often results in inadvertent needle sticks. In this regard, if the needle misses the opening in the cap during recapping, the hand of the personnel holding the cap is often accidentally stuck and thereby exposed to any fluid-borne infection carried by the needle. To avoid this specific problem, the Center for Disease Control currently recommends discarding disposable syringes without replacing the cap. This essentially requires personnel to deliver a disposable syringe, exposed and potentially contaminated, to an approved medical waste disposition container. The probability of an accidental needle stick becomes even greater since additional personnel are necessarily involved during transit to the medical waste disposition container and also upon periodic emptying of the container.
Injuries produced from accidental sticking by contaminated sharp instruments have been documented as the cause of severe illness and have even resulted in death. Additionally, such injuries result in unnecessary pain and often extensive testing to determine the extent of injury or infection or both. Furthermore, injured personnel often suffer from the anxiety affects of stress due to the potential risk involved with the accidental transfer of bodily fluids.
To address the problems associated with the proper disposal of sharp instruments, many prior art techniques and devices have been employed. One such technique, commonly referred to as "scooping", involves lifting the cap of the disposable needle off a table top with the needle and pressing the cap against a hard surface to seat the cap on the needle hub or base. One such device employed to alleviate accidental needle stick injuries is a single use syringe which is disposable. An example of this approach is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,287 issued to Haller. Another such device is adapted to hold a needle cap so that the needle can be reinserted into the cap while keeping hands out of the area of potential danger. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,562 to Vernon is an example of such a hand held device of this type.
While prior art techniques and devices have successfully lowered the incidents of accidental needle sticks, each known technique or device involves inherent limitations. Some of the techniques and devices are only suitable for disposable syringes. Other of the techniques and devices are awkward at best and cannot easily be employed in a surgical or emergency setting. Still yet other of the techniques and devices do not comply with the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control to discard disposable syringes without replacing the needle cap. Further, none of the known techniques and devices properly decontaminate potentially infected sharp instruments. Additionally, many prior techniques and devices are complex and cost prohibitive.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an apparatus for enveloping and decontaminating sharp instruments of the type used in contact with potentially infected bodily fluids prior to disposal of the sharp instruments.